June is Pride Month, the peak time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Here's your guide to Pride Month in the D.C. area, including why it's celebrated and how to be an ally.
Why is Pride Month marked in June?
It commemorates the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.
The pride parades through cities across the United States pay homage to the six-day protest against police harassment and discrimination against the New York LGBTQ+ community.
It all started on June 28, 1969. New York police raided The Stonewall Inn LGBTQ+ club, arresting 13 patrons and staff. That sparked a six-night rebellion.
The Stonewall Uprising occurred in a time when being openly LGBTQ+ could get you arrested. Now, the bar a National Historic Landmark.
What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (or sometimes questioning), intersex and asexual. The plus is a reminder that an acronym can't fully explain the myriad ways someone may identify themselves. The Human Rights Campaign has a glossary of terms that may be helpful.
What's the progressive pride flag?
The Progress flag by designer Daniel Quasar is an updated take on the Pride flag and includes light blue, light pink and white stripes to honor transgender people and black and brown stripes to honor marginalized Black and brown communities and people with AIDS, a 2018 fundraiser for the flag explained.
Pride Month Parade, Events in DC Area
Go here to see our full guide of LGBTQ+ Pride Month events in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
LGBTQ+ Stories
Read more for Pride Month:
- Groups Come Together to Create Safe Spaces for Asian American LGBTQ Community
- This Cyclist Biked 17,000 Miles Across 2 Continents to Raise Over $11,000 for LGBTQ+ Youth—a Look at His Journey
- ‘A Rainbow Logo Isn't Enough'—Why LGBTQ Workers Say Some Pride Celebrations Fall Short
- The Stonewall Inn: How a 1969 Uprising Made an NYC Bar a Landmark
- Video: What Does It Mean to Be Nonbinary?
- Soccer Stars Share Advice for Same-Sex Couples Hoping to Adopt
- This Book's Main Character Has a ‘Gay Agenda'
- Are Anti-LGBTQ Laws Hurting Kids' Mental Health?
- By Revealing His HIV Status, Billy Porter Fights the Stigma
- Lesbian Bars in U.S. Are Disappearing — One Film Hopes to Share Their History
Resources and Ways to Support LGBTQ Pride Month in DC
Capital Pride keeps a list of resources for LGBTQ youth. There, you can find help for housing, AIDS protection, plus organizations that empower young people.
The Human Rights Campaign keeps a list of resources for many groups, including a listing of where employers stand in the LGBTQ equality movement and a database of scholarships. Here's more information.
Casa Ruby serves the D.C.-area LGBTQ community, especially folks who are transgender, with food, shelter, job support, health care and more. You can donate to their mission here.
If you have thoughts of suicide, feel overwhelmed or just need a safe and judgment-free place to talk, contact the Trevor Project hotline at 1-866-488-7386. You can also text START to 678-678.
How to Be an LGBTQ+ Ally
"An ally is an individual who speaks out and stands up for a person or group that is targeted and discriminated against," says GLSEN, a group that seeks to support and create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.
Being an ally starts with listening, being open-minded and being willing to talk, GLAAD says.
Stand up to anti-LGBTQ+ comments if you hear them. This guide for teachers has succinct phrases anyone can use.
The Human Rights Campaign has a guide to being an LGBTQ+ ally, and so does GLAAD.
Interest and Identity Specific LGBTQ+ Groups
- AQUA DC (API community)
- KQT DC (Korean community)
- Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society (APIQS)
- KhushDC (South Asian community)
- DC Black Pride
- DC LatinX Pride
- Youth Pride Alliance
Your Local Pride Celebration
- Annapolis Pride
- Baltimore Pride
- Fredericksburg Pride
- Montgomery County Pride
- Prince George's Library pride programming
